The Hatters Take Las Vegas
by Casy Dee
Summary: Thanks to a wedding gift from Carol, Alice and Hatter are sent to honeymoon in Las Vegas. Shows, music, good food, gambling, true love... what could possibly go wrong? Set after my chaptered fic "Forever" but the story can stand alone. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**The Hatters Take Las Vegas, by Casy Dee © **

**A/N: Hi everyone! I know it has been a long time since I've ventured back into Alice-land, and I've missed you all! This little fic is set directly after my chaptered fic "Forever," but you don't have to read that in order to follow along with this one (although I'd like you to.) Hatter and Alice have just tied the knot, and Alice's mother has given them a lovely gift… a honeymoon in Vegas! Lights, shows, gambling… what could possibly go wrong?**

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><p><strong>Chapter OnePrologue**

Still wrapped in the warm fog of his dreams, Hatter rolled over in his nest of tangled sheets and reached out for Alice. He'd been having the most lovely dream that she had married him, and he was loathe to break the gossamer spell and wake further, but he wanted her near him. It was his favorite thing, to drowse with her in his arms, slowly breaking the bonds of sleep as desire grew between soft kisses and caresses. Instead of Alice's small form snuggled next to him, his hand found empty bed and cold sheets. His brow furrowed, _where is Alice? _He sat upright, his confusion at finding her missing dissipating the last vestiges of sleep. _Last night… they'd gotten married, and she should be next to him. That was no dream._

"Alice?" he called out, trying to hide the note of worry that finding her missing always caused.

"In the kitchen."

He gave a relieved smile, untangled himself from the bedclothes and duvet, then went to join her.

Alice looked up as Hatter padded into the kitchen, clad only in his purple paisley boxers riding low on his hips. Her husband. Her _delicious_ husband. She gave him a long lingering look, starting from the top of his mop of dark hair, to his handsome face, still creased with indentions from the sheets, down the taut wiry muscles of his chest and arms, his flat stomach, strong legs and finally down to his rather large bare feet.

He passed a hand through his wildly sleep-mussed hair, "Oh, please tell me there is tea, love. Please."

Alice rolled her eyes and pointed to the cup she'd just poured him as she'd waited for him to join her in the kitchen, "I was just about to wake you. We have a plane to catch, and we didn't even pack last night."

He grinned, his dimple flashing in his cheek, "To the place that ya said was as close to Wonderland as your world gets, yeah?"

She nodded, her lips twitching with barely repressed laughter, "Yeah. Las Vegas. They even have a motto, 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,' which means-"

Hatter gave a short laugh, "I think I can suss it out, thanks very much."

Alice snorted derisively, "I'll bet you can," she murmured.

Hatter took a deep swig of his tea and let that one slide. It was far too early for verbal jousting with his Alice, as fun as that could be. His brain needed tea to function after such little sleep, and it wouldn't do to engage her when he wasn't fully prepared for a battle of wits. She'd tear him to bits.

"We can pick up something to eat at the airport. We have to be there two hours early, at least. It will give us something to do while we wait."

Hatter nodded, "Toast and marmalade, more tea, and then we pack. Sorted."

He finished his tea in one swallow and then pulled her towards him, enfolding her in his arms, "First, you have to give your husband a proper good morning kiss, don't ya?" he asked, his voice a low invitation. He brushed his lips over the pulse point on her neck.

Alice shivered, "You want more than a kiss," she accused.

She felt his lips form a smile against her skin, "Mmmmhmm," he agreed.

_Well, I can pack pretty quickly when I have to, _she rationalized, giving in to his soft lips and warm embrace.

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><p>Hatter pulled Alice a little closer to his body as they entered the airport, a task made more difficult by the fact that they were both toting carry-ons. Luckily, they were able to check their bags curbside so they didn't have to cart them through the airport. Alice had been adamant that Hatter fit what he needed in one large suitcase plus one they split between them and a carry-on bag, but it was still quite a lot to manage. She glanced up at him, noting the tightening of his mouth and the way his eyes darted around as if assessing a possible escape route… which he probably was. He hated crowds. Last time he'd been to an airport, it had been brief and off the peak hours. He'd never seen it like <em>this<em>; she probably should have thought to warn him.

"Alice? So why exactly are we here two hours before we fly off?" he asked. He didn't relish the idea of being surrounded by the large press of people for so long before they could be on their way. _Perhaps they could wait outside?_

Alice blinked, taken aback. He'd never flown _himself _before, just seen the pick-up and drop-off areas. He'd assimilated so well that it was easy for her to forget most days that Hatter wasn't a native to her world. He was well read, and his mind absorbed knowledge blindingly fast. It had been a long time since he'd needed her to explain _anything _to him.

"Um. Security."

He nodded thoughtfully and then lifted an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the mass of people flowing around them in a steady stream, "For who?"

Alice laughed, "Good question. Come on, we need to get checked in and go through the security checkpoint. We'll be standing in line for ages; I'll explain on the way. Oh! And," she leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "don't say bomb, gun, knife, weapon, or anything else that could be considered a threat."

He pulled back and gave her an incredulous look, "Ya kiddin'?"

She shook her head, "No," she narrowed her eyes, "Matter of fact, try not to say anything."

He started to laugh, but then realized she was deadly serious. He held up his hands in surrender, "All right, love. Lips are sealed."

By the time they made it through the security queue, Hatter was convinced that Alice gave good advice. These people were really serious about the whole _security_ thing. He understood the comfortable clothes bit; it was a long flight. Jeans and one of his soft silk paisley shirts was a good choice, but after padding in stocking feet through the scanner, he got why she had advised him to wear his slip on ankle boots.

The scanner was an easy choice; he sure as hell wasn't going to let anyone pat him down. Unfortunately, some other people weren't so lucky as to get a choice. He'd shaken his head to see an eighty year old woman get patted down along with a three year old boy, but he supposed anyone could be suspect. Perhaps someone had used them unawares, or at least, that's what he told himself to keep his mouth glued shut. It didn't make him feel that much safer, to be honest. _He_ could have easily got a weapon past their checks, but he heeded Alice's advice and saved that little tidbit of information for when they were safely ensconced in their hotel room.

Thankfully, the crowds thinned out considerably once they were past the checkpoint. Hatter felt the tightening in his shoulders loosen somewhat and he forced himself to relax further; old habits die hard, and they'd had a rough go of things lately. For once, no one was trying to kill them, and besides, there were security people everywhere. He needed to let the paranoia go and enjoy this rare bit of holiday with his Alice. He adjusted his black fedora and found a smile for Alice; he could do this.

When he'd first heard that Alice's world had proper air transport, he'd envisioned something similar to the scarabs of his world. All the images from television and films had told him otherwise. He wished he'd had more time to research it now that he was going to actually _fly_ in one of the contraptions, but they had been otherwise occupied last night, _all_ last night, and he hadn't the time.

What Hatter _did _know that this world's version of air travel was much faster than by scarab, but also less comfortable, and he supposed the rest he'd learn by doing. He and Alice _had_ watched the film _Airplane _before, and that was where he'd gotten most of his knowledge. She'd assured him that it was a parody and things really weren't like that, but if the co-pilot was named Roger, he was going to say the hell with air travel and that was that. They'd find another way to their honeymoon.

They found a little café that was fairly empty and sat down to have a quiet overpriced breakfast and watch the planes taxi and fly off. He and Alice passed the time whilst they waited chatting about Las Vegas. Carol had gotten them some sort of package that included a couple of shows, and free buffet anytime they wanted, and Alice mentioned that they one of the things they _had to do _was to spend a night at a casino playing the slot machines. They were in Las Vegas after all. Hatter was much fonder of cards, and it had been a long time since he'd gotten a good game. It helped that he was able to keep track of the cards inside his head… a useful skill that had stood him in good stead in the past until most Wonderlanders began refusing to play against him. Perhaps he could even win some money whilst they were in Las Vegas.

Before long their gate was calling for passengers to board. Hatter followed Alice's lead, trailing her closely into the belly of the aircraft, down the narrow isle and to their designated seats. Hatter eyed the passenger compartment dubiously, noting the row of three seats on one side and two on the other. He heaved a sigh of relief when the ticket number matched a row with only two seats, thankful they wouldn't be seated by a stranger.

"I don't like the window," Alice said as she gestured for him to take a seat.

Hatter looked as if he wanted to ask why but he took one look at the queue of impatient people behind him waiting to take their seats and slid into his seat without comment. Alice gave him a pained smile and sat next to him. She really didn't like to fly. She didn't mind so much when they were in the air as long as she didn't think about it too much, but the take off and the landings were a different matter. Seeing just how fast the landscape whizzed by them didn't help matters.

"The flying thing?" he guessed.

She gave a short nod.

He reached out and captured her hand in his, giving silent reassurance that he was with her.

"Well this is… cozy, in't it?" Hatter murmured.

Alice nodded, "Only five and a half hours to go, once we take off."

Hatter leaned in close, "And I have to stay in me seat the whole time?"

Alice smiled a little; she wasn't the only one that wouldn't enjoy the flight. Hatter was not well suited to inaction; the only time he was still was when he was absorbed in a book. Luckily, she had a solution for him. Her friend Erica had given her loan of her electronic book reader preloaded with a giant library of books. She and Hatter shared a few favorite authors so Alice was certain he would be well occupied. _She _planned to sleep.

"Yeah, for the most part. You'll be able to get up once we're at cruising altitude, but that's just to go to the bathroom or maybe stretch."

Hatter sighed, "Why is flying better, again?" he asked plaintively, trying to distract her from her own case of nerves.

"Because it was a gift from Mom, and because we'd spend half our honeymoon driving."

She opened up her carry-on and pulled out the e-reader, "Here. You can thank Erica for lending it to you. That should keep you occupied so I can sleep."

He gave her a crooked grin, "You trying to keep me occupied?"

She gave a short laugh, "_Someone_ has to."

His grin diminished to an amused smirk, "Well feel free to use me shoulder as a pillow, and I'll do my best not to disturb you."

Alice looked into his dark chocolate brown eyes, laughter dancing behind them despite the fact that she knew he was uncomfortable surrounded by all these people in such tight quarters, and her heart melted. He had the singular ability to evoke that sort of response in her, and always had. Her eyes dropped to his soft Cupid's bow lips. She gave into the urge to plant a soft kiss there.

"Mmm. What was that for?" he asked.

Alice just smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

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><p>Their plane arrived without incident, though Hatter wondered if he'd ever get all the knots out of his shoulders. He stifled a groan as he raised his hands over his head and gave a deep joint-popping stretch as soon as they were out of the main flow of traffic of people exiting the aircraft. Being shoved in a tin with all those people for nearly six hours was akin to one of his worst nightmares. Even worse, he knew Alice hated to fly and if she knew how much he was bothered then she'd have an even harder time dealing with her own anxiety, so he just shut his mouth and tried to play calm.<p>

Despite her claim that she'd gotten much better with controlling her fear of heights and flying since her trip to Wonderland, she'd held on to his hand the entire flight, even when she dropped off into a light doze. She'd nearly broken the bones in his hand during the take-off and landing. She confided that she used to have to give herself a Benadryl and Dramamine cocktail in order to get through plane rides, but now she just closed the window shades if she was in the window seat and tried to sleep through it. She looked just as happy as he was when the jet rolled to a stop and they were able to disembark.

Hatter and Alice rescued their luggage from the carousel and then hailed a taxicab to their hotel. Hatter was looking forward to getting checked in. Carol had put them up in someplace called the _Luxor, _and Alice seemed to be pretty excited to be staying there, but all Hatter wanted at the moment was a meal, then a steaming hot shower, preferably with Alice. He was starving, his head ached and his nerves were drawn so tight that he'd even snapped at Alice when she asked him for the third time if he was all right.

"M'sorry love. Just a bit peckish is all. I didn't mean to-"

Alice held up a hand to forestall him, "I know. We'll get something at the hotel buffet as soon as we check in. No waiting, and no more grouchy Hatter."

He smiled ruefully, "I'll just shut up then, yeah?"

She arched an eyebrow, "Probably a good idea."

Alice rested a hand on the nape of his neck and stroked her fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh as she began to massage his neck and shoulders. He wasn't fooling her. She knew the flight had been rough on him; she'd grant him a little bit of forgiveness for acting snippy. He let out a low moan of appreciation as she kneaded his tight shoulders, and she knew she'd forgive him almost anything if he'd just make that sound for her again.

They had a week of leisure planned out, and she was determined to wring every drop of pleasure from it she could. Hatter worked entirely too hard, and it had been too long since she'd seen his gorgeous broad grin free from the tinge of worry and sadness he'd been carrying for longer than she'd like. This was a new start for them, and she was determined to make this honeymoon the respite they both needed.

TBC

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><p><strong>AN: So we have our stage set. *grins* I hope you enjoyed this! Please tell me if you did? It feeds the muse and encourages me to write faster… you **_**do **_**want me to write faster, don't you?**

**A/A/N: Oh! And I got a short story picked up for publication! I'll be in a literary magazine that debuts in 2012. I'll post details on my profile as I get them. :D And it was thanks to readers that encouraged me that I decided to give it a shot. *hugs* Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait folks. I normally write much faster, but this chapter was giving me a hard time. It seems I needed to write what was in my head, and then backfill. Anyways, I'm so thrilled with the response for the first chapter! It really helped keep me going when the muse wasn't cooperating. Thanks!**

**So much hope you like this! Oh. And hold on.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Hatter stared out the window of the cab, "_That_ is a hotel?" he asked as the cab approached the shining black glass pyramid.

Alice nodded, "Yeah, that's it. Impressed?"

"A bit," he admitted. He'd expected something different; he wasn't exactly sure what, but not this vast expanse of dark glass surrounded by palm trees, swimming pools, and a replica sphinx at the entry. It was a far cry from the clean lines of New York. Even the city's oldest structures with the most detailed architecture were building-shaped.

"You have to see it at night," the cabbie interjected, "Oh, at night Vegas is a new place! The lights, the action… but be careful. Well, New Yorkers, right? Shouldn't have to tell you to be careful. But stay on the main roads. And if you want to stretch your dollar, go to one of the casinos off the strip. Go downtown. The Luxor _is_ swanky, but they gouge the tourists. Same gambling, but half the cost off the boulevard, and they'll still treat you right."

Alice and Hatter traded an amused glance. Once the man had discovered they were on their honeymoon from New York, he'd proceeded to give them a block by block tour of Las Vegas as he drove. Alice was amused to no end to see Hatter out-talked. He hadn't even been able to get any questions in edgewise to interrupt the cabbie's running monologue.

Hatter made a noise of consideration as soon as the cabbie stopped to take a breath, "Cheers, mate. I'll keep that in mind," then leaned in close to speak in Alice's ear, "Hotel is huge. We're meant to get a tour guide to find the buffet in this place?"

Alice laughed and then squeezed his hand, "Check in, then we'll get directions," she whispered back.

Hatter flashed her a grin as the taxi rolled to a halt.

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><p>"How many rooms has this place got?" Hatter murmured as he looked up through the atrium at the rows and rows of rooms above them, stacked to form the inside walls of the pyramid shape on the interior of the hotel. Each floor jutted out farther than the one below until the point at the apex. It was a truly dizzying sight, and that was saying a lot, coming from him.<p>

"Four-thousand, four hundred and eight," the clerk behind the counter replied, "and you two are in one of our spa suites. You have a private spa tub in room, and a beautiful view. We also have twenty-four hour room service, several pools for you to choose from, and a concierge for anything else you may need during your stay. The Luxor has shopping, a casino, several restaurants and we have spectacular shows, all right here inside the hotel. I see that you have tickets included for the headlining show, _Believe_. You'll love it. He's an incredible magician."

"Um, thanks," Alice replied, wondering how often per day the clerk repeated that same pitch. She glanced to Hatter, "The buffet is open?"

The clerk nodded, "Of course," and handed her a map of the hotel. She pointed to the spot labeled _MORE the Buffet_, "It's right here."

They settled with the clerk and got their key, and then took the inclinator (and woe to anyone that called it an elevator) to their hotel room accompanied by an attendant with a luggage cart stacked with their things. Hatter had to admit that he _was _impressed with the hotel, and he was more than a little bit excited to have Alice all to himself for an entire week, even if he didn't much see how Las Vegas was like Wonderland. Maybe the cab driver was correct, and night time would transform the city, but he truly didn't care where he was, as long as he was with her. _Alice_ was home for him, and Wonderland was just a place he'd left behind him.

Hatter tipped the attendant well, after all he knew how much tips were appreciated now that he was in Alice's world and accepted them himself at his tea shop, and then took a look at where they'd be calling home for the next week. The first thing he saw was the king size bed strewn with rose petals, and on the nightstand sat an ice bucket with a chilling bottle of champagne surrounded by chocolate covered strawberries and a box of chocolate truffles. Alice was already ahead of him, checking the little gift basket on the bed as she scooped up one of the lush, giant strawberries from the table and took a bite. She closed her eyes and gave a moan as the taste of dark chocolate and ripe strawberry exploded on her tongue.

Hatter swallowed hard at the sight. Suddenly he wasn't all that interested in eating anymore. Well, not the hotel buffet, at any rate.

"Incredible. You _have_ to try these," Alice said. She opened her eyes to find Hatter staring at her, a predator's gleam in his dark chocolate eyes. The breath slammed out of her chest at the sight of that intense dark gaze fixed upon her so intently. She knew what that look portended.

He strode across the room to join her, his eyes locked on hers the whole time. He took a bite of the proffered strawberry, chewed and swallowed. Alice watched his throat work, entranced.

"Incredible," he agreed, his voice gone low with desire. "Brilliant. Don't have to leave the room, do we? Got all we need right here."

Alice nodded as her took her into his arms. She'd been about to make a joke about how desperately he'd wanted to eat, but somehow under Hatter's hungry gaze she couldn't find it in her to do so.

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><p>Luckily Las Vegas was a night time city. Despite their little interlude, they still had plenty of time to have a full evening. Tonight they'd tour the Boulevard, have dinner and then gamble, and tomorrow would be the magic show, and after that they'd figure it out as they went. They'd emerged from their suite a little disheveled, but happier and relaxed. The flight hadn't been easy on either one of them. They'd hit the buffet for a late lunch, planning to return to their room to try out the in room Jacuzzi tub before heading out for a night on the town. Hatter had been a fan of the speed and incredible variety available on the buffet, even if not all of the dishes met with his approval. The man could put away huge quantities of food, and the buffet line was more than able to accommodate him. Alice could only laugh at some of the looks he got from the nearby tables. She'd gotten so used to it, she hardly noticed anymore. Best of all, it was quick. Alice was dying for a bath, and the idea of sharing it with a dripping wet Hatter didn't hurt.<p>

Despite the strange smell of the tap water, the giant spa tub was truly a lovely thing to have in room, and Alice and Hatter both agreed that if they made millions whilst gambling, they'd install one for themselves. They spent such a long time in it that they had to add change out the water twice and their skin was beginning to wrinkle. Hatter joked about smelling of _Sensual Strawberry_, but they _did_ have to make liberal use of the scented bubbles to cut the off-putting aroma of the water. Neither one of them wanted to emerge from their bath smelling of Eau de Las Vegas water supply.

After their shared bath, Alice considered what to wear for the rest of the evening. She chewed her lip and finally selected a sapphire blue cotton jersey sundress and low wedged heels for their night out. It was comfortable and light enough to walk around town in, but still dressy enough for dinner, as long as it wasn't fine dining. Hatter was happy with anything that showed off her legs, so she knew it would please him. She'd gone on and done her hair and makeup first, knowing that Hatter took _ages_ to decide what he'd be wearing. Now she was just waiting on him to emerge from the hotel bathroom.

Alice licked her lips as he emerged. How he managed to look sexy in whatever he wore was beyond her, but he did. Hatter forewent his usual leather jacket as an accommodation to the heat, but he didn't forgo his style. He _did _roll the sleeves of his burnt orange, cream, and brown paisley silk shirt up past his forearms, and he skipped a waistcoat in favor of a loosely knotted tie. He topped it off with the straw porkpie Alice had found for him that was the twin of the one he'd left behind in Wonderland, his dark hair curling over the brim.

From the look on his face when his eyes lit upon her, he was just as pleased with her choice. The thin fabric clung to every curve, and he was always a fan of her in heels of any kind, even if they were comfort-conscious wedges.

He gave her a slow smile and growled low in his throat, "At this rate we'll not ever leave the room."

Alice laughed, "We have an entire week, Hatter. Plenty of time for that." She'd never laughed so much in her whole life since Hatter had come into it. She'd made a good choice in marrying him. She couldn't ever imagine loving anyone else more, or ever loving him any less than she did right now.

He flashed her one of his bright, full-on crooked grins, "I'll take you up on that, love."

Alice slinked over to him and molded her body to his, "I expect you to." She brushed her lips over the pulse throbbing at his neck, and then flounced away, laughing, "Come on, let's go. I'm sure they're waiting for us."

"Honeymoon's not meant to be about torture," he called out after her.

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><p>The horse-drawn carriage ride was an interesting way to see Las Vegas, and it was so much fun it <em>almost<em> made up for the long wait, horrible service and bad food at one of the strip's supposed gourmet restaurants. At least Hatter's snarky commentary throughout the meal at least kept them both entertained, even if she was half afraid they'd get thrown out. During the tour, Hatter admitted that the garish lights, the even more garish crowds, the action and the morass of just altogether _strange _people did remind him of Wonderland quite a bit. More than anywhere else in Alice's world he'd seen, anyway. Another helpful cab driver found them a casino in downtown Vegas, and they planned to finish out the night there doing the obligatory gambling that you just _had to do, _at least according to everyone they'd talked to. They'd taken the first cabbie's advice by going to one of the casinos off of the Boulevard. It was small, and neither the stakes nor the security was as high as in the bigger casinos, but it suited their purpose perfectly. They weren't high rollers, and they had a limited budget with which to gamble. They'd both decided that one night would be the limit.

Alice liked the slot machines but not the card games, and as much as she loved Hatter, the prospect of sitting next to him all night at the card tables was mind numbingly boring. He'd started with roulette, which was marginally more entertaining, but he'd only played a couple of rounds. He admitted that anything left so much to luck would probably not bode well for him. After watching the blackjack game for a few moments he determined that it was much like a version of a game called trumpscard in his world. She figured from the mischievous grin he'd flashed her that he was a pretty good player; maybe he could even win a little bit of money. She pressed a kiss to his stubbled cheek right over the little crescent-shaped wrinkle that marked where his dimple indented as she stood to leave.

"I'll find you or you find me when you're done, yeah?" he said, a little annoyed that not only were mobile phones frowned upon inside the casino, but the walls blocked the signal even if you had brought one with you.

"Yeah. Don't lose more than fifty, okay?" she whispered, and then left him to his card game.

Hatter just gave her an incredulous look and a short laugh as an answer.

For Alice, the nickel slots were her game. She didn't think gambling was fun if she lost actual real money. For twenty dollars she could gamble most of the night, and if she lost it, then she wouldn't be terribly upset about it. For Hatter, it was about the game, the mental exercise and demonstration of skill. Something like the slots held no appeal for him. His dark eyes followed her as she walked away, a small smile upon his lips. She gave him a little wave as she went down the stairs to the slot machine room.

Hatter turned his full attention back to the game, although the image of Alice's legs didn't make it easy. He'd played the first few hands without truly making a decided effort to win, more just to judge the dealer's skill and the fairness of the cards. It was common for Wonderlandian dealers to slip in a second deal or extra cards, or any number of other ways to fix the game. This dealer seemed pretty straightforward. All right then. Time to win some money.

After a few rounds, Hatter had collected a nice pile of winnings. After a few more, he'd collected a _lot_ of winnings, and he'd already started making plans for spending it. Perhaps a new hat for him and a dress for Alice. He'd just placed his bet for yet another go when a couple of serious-faced men in suits appeared from the door marked "private" and took up residence at his elbows.

He looked up at them and gave his charmingly innocent smile, "Is there a problem?"

"You need to come with us, sir," the goon on the left replied.

Hatter leaned back in his chair, "Gonna tell me why?"

Lefty didn't look amused, "The manager wants to speak with you."

Oh. It was like _that _here. Figures. Hatter grunted, "Fine. Don't have much choice now, do I? Tell me, is this how ya treat all your customers that win too much off ya?"

Righty grabbed Hatter's elbow as if to drag him, "Don't," he hissed, his voice gone cold and deadly as he shook him off, "I'm coming."

They led him up a back stairway and into a suite of offices, past a bank of security monitors. Hatter was getting angrier and angrier as they went, and it was getting difficult for him to conceal it behind his cold arrogant mask. These people took more from the customers than the customer could ever come close to taking from them, and yet when someone actually had the skill to win the game, they nicked his winnings and threatened him. It wasn't right.

By the time he was led to an office with someone inside, he was fuming. This was his bloody honeymoon, and he'd not have it spoiled.

"Are you aware that card counting is against casino rules?" the manager asked straightaway.

"What the hell for?" Hatter replied.

"It's an unfair advantage, Mister?"

"Hatter."

"Mr. Hatter. We're going to have to ask you to leave."

Hatter gave a short laugh, "I don't see why ya had to drag me up here to tell me that."

The man behind the desk smiled, "Bad business."

Hatter snorted derisively, not trusting himself to keep his tongue in check. Their honeymoon would definitely be spoiled if he got banged up, and he sensed that this manager wouldn't hesitate to call the police if he felt it necessary.

The manager gestured to Righty, "Now if you'll just follow Mr. Green, he'll show you out."

"No. I'm not going anywhere without me wife."

A man in an actual security type uniform ducked into the office, "We've got a situation, code 505," he interrupted.

The man behind the desk blanched, "Police inbound?"

Hatter's stomach churned; the man didn't look like one that would get flustered easily. Alice was still happily playing the slot machines on the main floor. If they had dragged him away from her and she was in danger… his right fist clenched so hard his knuckles popped.

"Land lines have been cut. I tripped the alarm, but I don't know if it is functional. The door locks are jammed. We're stuck up here until they come for us."

"What the hell is happening?" Hatter asked.

"We're being robbed, Mr. Hatter," the manager replied.

_Alice was down there. Oh god. Alice._

**TBC**

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><p><strong>AN: Dun dun dun. *cue music* Sneaky me is sneaky. Veeery sneaky. Thanks so much for reading, and please tell me what you think. It feeds my muse, and you know hungry muses have a hard time writing. Just sayin'. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, and thank you so much to those of you that took a sec to leave me a review. It means a lot! I sure hope you enjoy this... eep.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

She didn't hear them over the piped in elevator music at first. She and Hatter had been joking all evening about how they had to almost shout to be heard over it. This casino set the bar for cheese factor, but neither she nor Hatter had minded driving out a little farther if it meant their meager stash of cash would last all evening. The music was too loud as well as obnoxious, the décor was gaudy bordering on ridiculous, but compared to the high table prices and expensive drinks at the more glamorous casinos on the strip, it had been a good trade-off. Now as she swiveled around from the slot machine to see who'd shouted, she was having second thoughts. Five armed men wearing rubber Halloween masks and black clothing were spreading out through the casino. _Seriously? The casino was being robbed? On her _honeymoon?

"Hands in the air, nobody move," a gunmen wearing a Dean Martin mask said as his partners spread out through the casino.

Alice raised her hands, and sought out a potential exit. A man wearing a Sinatra mask had taken the card floor, Bogart held the stairs, Sammy Davis Jr. was at the front entrance, and one more guarded the back in a mask she didn't recognize. No. She wouldn't be able to make a run for it, not without crossing directly in front of one of them. Dean Martin gestured to the others to indicate they should begin rounding up the casino patrons. The robbers' movements seemed choreographed, they were so well practiced. They'd done this before. Alice went along with it, hoping that they'd get what they came for and go. Casinos had insurance for this very reason.

"Keep the hands up. Don't be a hero, everybody to the center of the floor, on your knees, hands behind your head. If you move funny, I'll shoot just to be sure," Martin instructed.

_I can't even have a nice, normal honeymoon. _All they'd wanted was some time away to enjoy with each other, and they hadn't even made it a day before someone was waving a gun in her face. At least this time they weren't trying to kill her. At least, not her specifically, anyway. She knelt down on the floor and laced her hands above her head. Her eyes kept going to the stairway, searching for Hatter in the group of people coming from the card floor. She figured he'd use some sense and follow their orders as long he saw that she was all right. At least she _hoped_ so.

She heard a shout, saw a flash of dark hair in the doorway at the stairs, and a sound she'd hoped to never hear again followed by a terrified scream. Not so terribly long ago, Alice wouldn't be quite so familiar with what shots fired sounded like in very close proximity. Nowadays, she knew the sound. Knew it, and feared it and what it meant. A stream of profanities from the gunman in the Sinatra mask cemented it. Someone had been shot. Alice's heart lodged in her throat. Hatter had yet to come through the door. She couldn't help the small sound of disbelief that escaped her lips. It couldn't have been Hatter. No. Not him. He'd never do something so stupid. He'd never get himself killed for something so small. Not after all they'd survived.

The fifth gunman, Sinatra, drove the few remaining people from the card room into the main floor and then followed behind. Alice's heart sank; she hadn't seen who'd been shot, but everyone in the casino had been herded to the slot machine floor, and if he wasn't with them then she couldn't help but think he was lying dead on the floor.

Sinatra turned to face the shocked crowd, "That's one casualty! Anyone else want to try me? Huh?"

Fear rippled through the crowd, but Alice hardly heard the words past 'casualty.'

Sammy Davis Jr. gave a jerk of his head, indicating he wanted Sinatra to speak to him. Sinatra cursed under his breath, leveled his gun at the crowd, "Don't. Move," he warned, and then joined Sammy.

She overheard a few words of the heated conversation between them, enough to gather that shooting someone had not been in the plan. The furious exchange went on for several minutes, long enough to further distress the already frightened hostages.

Sinatra turned back to the crowd, "Listen up people. I don't want any more heroes, so this is what's going to happen," he leveled his gun at a blood-spattered woman kneeling next to Alice, then stepped forward and pressed it against her forehead, "Any more stupidity, and this little screamer gets it. You twitch wrong, and she dies."

"I have kids. Please! All they have is me… please?" Tears flowed down the woman's face; she began to hiccup as hysteria set in, "Please? I'm only here for work. I just wanted to go out and have fun one night. Just one night."

"Shut up!"

"Please? Please? My babies need me—"

"Last warning," Sinatra thumbed back the hammer and pressed the barrel harder into her forehead. It would leave a bruise if she survived this.

Alice bit her lip, her mind working furiously. The poor woman was about to snap, gun or no gun. She'd leave her kids without a mother unless someone could do something about it. Underneath it all Alice couldn't stop the jabbering in her brain; the blood the woman was wearing probably belonged to her Hatter. If he had been killed… she shook her head, denying it still. She couldn't think it. She shot the woman a sideways glance; she knew just what Hatter would do if her were here with her.

Alice spoke the words before she had a chance to really think about what she was getting herself into; it was easier that way, "Use me. I'm an heiress; I'm worth more as a hostage."

* * *

><p>Hatter followed the progression of people filtering to the center of the casino floor on the monitors, but his attention remained focused on the form of his tiny brunette Alice. He drew in a deep, calming breath and tried to think rationally. Alice was smart, she was tough, and she stayed calm in situations that would have left him raging. She was not one to take stupid risks with her life. He was trapped in the security tower with this lot of imbeciles, but had he not been, there wasn't much else he could do but watch anyway. Thankfully, with all the excitement on the casino floor, the management had pretty much decided that Hatter was no longer very important. Save for one security guard sat next to the bank of security monitors, they'd all gathered in one of the offices that had a video feed of the action on the casino floor and allowed him to go as he pleased. After all, he'd not get very far. Hatter had chosen to watch from the vantage of the main bank of security monitors. He was stood behind the chairs rather than in them because the security guy had been giving him sideways glances as much as he'd been fidgeting in the chair. Inaction did not suit him.<p>

Hatter jolted at unmistakable sound of gunfire; a casino customer tried to rush one of the robbers. Hatter watched open mouthed as the man in the mask fired on him without a moment's hesitation. The victim went down, his body collapsing limply on the floor. Dead. The growing puddle of blood under the man's head told him so. Hatter turned away and paced the length of the room, fists clenched tight, though there was nothing to strike. He'd had convinced himself that Alice would get through this just fine, that the men wanted money and once they got it they'd be on their way, but this act of violence changed the game. If these people were so trigger happy, then things could go badly very quickly. He forced himself to unclench his fists, gripped the back of the chair in front of him instead and leaned in closer to the monitor. _Stay safe, Alice. Please._

He as watched two of the gunmen argued, grit his teeth as they singled out a woman entirely too close to Alice for comfort. He growled as he saw the poor woman begin to shake and cry. He _hated_ this feeling of complete and utter helplessness. His right arm burned, wanting action; his bit of Wonderland magic seeking an outlet. His Alice was being threatened, and all he could do was watch and worry. There was nothing his sledgehammer of a punch could do to get her out of there. All the blood drained from his face as he saw her speak. This couldn't be good. _Alice! What're you doin'? No…_

The gunman swung the weapon to face Alice instead. Whatever she'd said, it had the effect of making her the target rather than the woman beside her. "Alice!" Hatter heard the sound of twisting metal and ripping fabric as frame of the chair under his hand collapsed. He stared at it, confused, but not as confused as the guard beside him. That wasn't the way his gift worked, ordinarily. There had been a few, very few occasions when he'd managed to channel his magic into strength rather than a strike, but he'd not been able to sort out _how. _Didn't matter anyway. What mattered was that Alice was in danger, and whether his hand liked it or not, it was just as useless at getting her out of this as the rest of him was.

"Pretty shoddy chairs, they are," Hatter muttered to the guard.

The guard just nodded, but he left his post to join the others.

* * *

><p>Alice lifted her chin, determined not to show how much fear she was feeling in that moment. As plans went, this probably wasn't her best. She hoped that she had accomplished two things. One, the poor woman next to her wouldn't get her head blown off simply because she'd been scared to death, and two, maybe they would call someone to get ransom money. Jonas, her mother's boyfriend and the family lawyer, would be the best bet. He'd answer from his law office, and he was quick enough on the uptake to go along with it. At least the police would get called. Hopefully she didn't get her head blown off instead when they realized she'd lied.<p>

The robber in the Bogart mask came charging in from his post upstairs, "Cops! We have cops. You said that the alarms were cut. Why in the _fuck_ do we have cops?"

The man holding a gun on her cursed, "Change of plans. We'll start with our heiress, here. Get the money," he turned to the one she didn't recognize, "Bishop, get us a phone line out of here. We're going to have to make a deal."

Bishop gave a sharp nod.

"And shut off that damn music!"

* * *

><p>Hatter began to panic at the thought of losing sight of Alice as they escorted her out of the main room at gunpoint. He may not be able to <em>do<em> anything, but as long as she was on the casino floor he could watch her and know that she was okay.

"The whole place has cameras, yeah?" he asked the security guy sat in front of the monitors.

"Mostly."

Hatter nodded, watching Alice's progression on the screens until she went into an office that didn't show up on a monitor.

"There's a few private offices in the building without cameras," the security guy added.

"Got to be a way outta here," Hatter growled.

"That door is the only way in and out. Security measure, for all the good it did us."

He turned away, flipped his hat off his head and back on again. He had to do _something. _He wandered through the offices, hoping for a back door, an air vent, a trap door or a bloody sparkly magic portal for cryin' out loud… _anything_ he could use. After a fruitless and frustrating inspection of the executive tower, he ended up in what he determined was the CEO's office. The furnishings were by far more posh than the other rooms, and not only was there a large flat screen telly on one wall displaying the security camera feed, but the west wall was floor to ceiling panes of glass, giving an open view of the back side of the casino floor from two stories above, the cash cages and a maze of office cubicles. He was beginning to think running a casino was a lot like running a tea shop in Wonderland. He'd watched over his shop in much the same way. What he figured to be a bustling hive of activity ordinarily was empty now. Everyone had been locked in the security tower with him, or sent to the other side of the building.

Hatter leaned his forehead against the glass, staring down to the sheer drop below. If he could just get down there... _pointless thoughts_. He was trapped. If they managed to get out of this alive, he was going to shake Alice until her teeth rattled. She'd been safely ignored until she'd spoken, intentionally drawing attention to herself. He'd shake her, and then he'd hold her to him and maybe never let her out of his sight again. He closed his eyes, and went to his knees, fought back the urge to let his tingling fist fly through the window, striking it with the palm of his hand instead. The window rattled in its frame as a lattice of spiderweb cracks formed from the impact point. _Damn it_. It wasn't a good thing for him to lose control in a situation like this. Good thing it had been quiet. The last thing he needed was for more of those security guys breathing down his neck. They were leaving him be, deeming him unimportant, and that's exactly how he wanted to keep things.

Hatter narrowed his eyes as he spotted a narrow ledge below the window, and at the far side, the same large round stones that made up the faux-castle exterior of the casino formed a trickling waterfall. It would be crazy to attempt to cross the ledge and abseil down the fountain. It would be mad, and an ordinary person would probably not even think to attempt such a thing… but he'd been raised running through streets where a misstep meant death, and he probably could manage to lower himself down two stories to the floor below. He'd find the strength. He had to.

Hatter yanked off his tie, wrapped it around his hand and knocked the shards of glass out of the frame, thankful that whoever built the office hadn't paid the cost to get a sturdier glass installed. With the glass removed, he shimmied out the window to balance precariously on the narrow ledge. He pressed his body flat against the window and inched his way along the length. He'd be a sitting duck if anyone happened by whilst he was making his way across, but the robber that had been watching this area had gone with Alice. He should be safe. That is, provided he didn't come back until he made it to the ground. He forced away unwelcome thoughts and concentrated on placing his feet and maintaining his balance. He couldn't afford to be distracted by what _could _happen.

He heaved a giant sigh of relief as he reached the stone waterfall. Was waterfall the proper word? Water drip, maybe? Good thing it wasn't a proper waterfall. Along the edges where he'd have to climb down the stones were dry. The water-whatever was the epitome of Vegas gaudiness. It spanned three floors and was studded with false gemstones and pebbles meant to look like gold nuggets. The edges of the stones were rounded and shallow. Hatter wouldn't be able to find any footholds; he'd have to get down by use of arm strength alone, and avoid the little gemstones.

_Shouldn't have eaten all that buffet food. _ _Okay. Here we go._

He dug his fingers into the wall and stepped off the ledge. He clenched his jaw as he began to descend, ignoring the burn in his muscles and the bits of jagged mortar digging into his fingertips. All he could allow himself to think of was finding the next handhold, moving closer to his goal. Alice was in danger, and he'd not let anything stop him from getting to her. Not this time. He was making good progress until he gripped a weak section of stone and the mortar crumbled, dislodging the stone he'd been hanging from. Hatter bit back a curse as he found himself dangling from the fingertips of his right hand. Fingertips that were rapidly losing purchase on the chunk of rock, and he still had about six meters of waterfall below him. If he fell onto the rocks below, he'd likely break something… maybe his head. He frantically searched for another handhold with his left hand without moving too much and dislodging the tenuous hold he had with his right.

He channeled all his fear into feeding the Wonderland magic in his right arm, hoping that he could tap into the strength behind his sledgehammer punch. He'd done it before, tonight with the chair had been a prime example, but it wasn't reliable. He seriously needed to suss out how it worked. _If I survive this, _he promised himself. The tension in his shoulders diminished as strength flooded into him. _It's worked. _He had to make use of it before it faded. Now that he didn't feel as if he was about to drop off the waterfall, he was able to find a hold with his left hand and transverse the rest of the wall. He sent up a silent thank you as he dropped the final few feet to the ground, and went in search of Alice.

* * *

><p>Alice lifted her chin. Her stomach twisted and turned, her heart was beating a million miles a minute, and she felt a rivulet of sweat chase down her lower back, but she wasn't about to give Sinatra the satisfaction of knowing just how terrified she was. She may not be able to hide how her hands trembled, but the rest, she hid.<p>

"Where are we going?" she asked, careful her voice didn't tremble.

"Shut up. You'll talk when I ask you a question, or I'll duct tape your mouth shut, heiress. Got it?"

Alice nodded. Might as well not antagonize him. If she got him alone, she might be able to take him down, get his gun, and then… and then what? Her mind went back to the gunshot, the flash of dark hair as a body hit the ground. She blinked the tears in her eyes away. She couldn't think about him right now. Those people needed help, and she might be the only person that could get it to them. There were too many robbers, but she could look for a way out, and maybe she could get the police a way in. Yes. That was her best plan, provided she survived this.

They wound their way through a nest of cubicles, the temporary walls high enough to provide the illusion of privacy to the occupants, even though any words spoken would carry across several work spaces. The man he'd called Bishop was waiting for them at the last cube in the hallway. So much for getting him alone, but she could take two men if the timing was right. Possibly. She would feel better about it if they weren't armed, and if she was more certain that more men weren't just on the other side of the wall.

"You got us a line out?" Sinatra asked.

"Cell phone. This section of the building isn't shielded. I got a phone from one of the hostages. Smart phone. We'll take the video and text it to the cops. If they don't pay, we'll kill her on video and then get another girl. Easy."

Alice stared up at them, slack-jawed. They talked about killing her as if it was like swatting a fly. For the hundredth time, she wondered if she'd gotten herself into more than she could get out of. The gunman pressed the cold barrel against her temple, and she knew she had.

"Start recording," he told Bishop.

He stared down at her, and she couldn't help the thought that Frank Sinatra was going to murder her. Alice clamped her lips tight against the hysterical giggle threatening to escape.

"Better make it count. These are your last words if your people don't pay up."

Alice opened her mouth to speak, and almost swallowed her tongue as she saw a familiar face over the edge of the cubicle wall.

Hatter levered himself carefully up on top of the bookshelf, moving as silently as he was able. The piped in elevator music helped to disguise his movements. He'd been cursing it all evening; the annoying sound had even been piped in to the security tower, but now it was his savior. They needed surprise if they were to take the men down without alerting their cohorts. He shook his head in the negative as Alice made eye contact with him. He didn't want her to give him away. She gave an almost imperceptible nod and stared straight ahead.

"What should I say?" Alice asked, stalling for time.

"Your name, how much you're worth and the fact that you believe I'll blow your little brains out," he replied, pressing the gun harder into her head.

"Okay. Okay," her eyes flicked up to Hatter. He nodded and pointed to himself, and then to the guy playing cameraman. He held up three fingers. Alice nodded, knowing Sinatra would assume it was for him.

_Three. Two. One. _Alice disarmed her captor in one swift blur of movement, resisting the urge to look behind her as she heard Hatter land on the other man and disable him. No gunfire was a good sign. Sinatra was on the ground, but still moving. Alice raised her leg for a roundhouse, but Hatter beat her to it. He yanked Sinatra up by the collar and punched him hard enough to knock him unconscious. He and Alice stared at each other for a moment, reassuring themselves that the other really was alive and stood directly in front of them. Hatter opened his arms and Alice flew into them, holding him to her as tightly as he held her. She buried her face in his neck and breathed him in. He closed his eyes and held her close, whispering words of love. They were okay. They were both alive, and although they weren't yet out of hot water, they were together.

The parted enough to see each others' face. Hatter planted a soft kiss on her lips and then rested his forehead against hers.

"What now?" she asked.

Hatter laughed, and turned to look down at the masked men, "Tie this lot up? Ring the police? Tell 'em we took out two of the five robbers, tell 'em where the hostages are being held, and ask them what the hell they want us to do next, yeah?"

Alice nodded, "And if the rest of the crew figures it out?"

He lifted a shoulder, "We move quickly?"

**TBC**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh, I know. This took me ages to write, but I hope you think it was worth it. I'm in the process of moving to another state, and it's been a bit of a rough go. Ok, so it looks like I've got another chapter to go. Me hopes I can get it written quicker than this one. Maybe add a Missing Reel at some point, too. Yeah? Well, anyway… please tell me what you think? My muse needs reviews to help her write. *makes sad Andrew Lee Potts eyes***

**For interested parties, the masks are in reference to the Brat Pack (and Oceans 11.) **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Finally, here she is! This has truly been a lot of hard work, and I hope you'll think the wait was worth it. I'll never leave a story unfinished, rest assured, even if my life is insanity. : ) Eeep. Hope you like it! **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Electric cords were perhaps not the most ideal way to secure their prisoners, but they worked well enough. That had been Alice's idea. The gags, on the other hand, were courtesy of Hatter's twisted mind. Alice heartily approved; if anyone deserved to be gagged by their own socks, it was these guys. They deserved every bad thing they had coming to them, plus some. She glared down at them as Hatter finished securing the gags, hoping they had a foot fungus, or athlete's foot, or even just bad foot odor.

Once the prisoners were secured, Alice confiscated the mobile phone and looked to Hatter, "Calling."

He nodded, leaned against the wall and listened in as she described their current situation once the emergency operator patched her through to the police. He could tell from Alice's expression that she didn't like what she was hearing, but he wasn't getting enough from her end of the conversation to sort out why.

"_What they sayin'?" _he whispered.

Alice rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Hide. They want us to hide. They're going to set up communications and negotiate."

Hatter shrugged; it was much as he expected. It's what he would do.

"Well, it's not like I had a choice," Alice retorted into the phone.

Hatter raised his eyebrows; they must be very rude indeed for Alice to take _that _particular tone of voice. He was glad he wasn't on the receiving end.

She looked to Hatter again, "We are to under _no circumstances_ further engage them. Evidently, trying to escape is a bad thing. We could have endangered others."

Hatter made a rude noise and took the mobile from Alice, "Listen here, they were about to blow her head off. Damn if I'll do nothin' if I see that. If anything, you should be well pleased that two of 'em are out the way, so just do your job and get these people out, yeah?" he jabbed the end button, still scowling, "Let's go find someplace quiet to wait this out."

"I was supposed to stay on the line."

"Bugger that," Hatter muttered, "They talk to ya like that, they're on their own.

Alice glanced down at the unconscious men lying on the ground, "What about Sinatra and Martin, here?"

He didn't really want to just leave them lying out in the open. If they were hidden, it might buy them and the police a little more time. He remembered passing a storage room… that should work nicely.

"Get this one's feet, love. We'll stash them, then find our own hidey hole, won't we?"

She snorted, "You've put a lot of time into this plan."

"We _have_ got their guns,"

Alice examined Bishop's gun dubiously; she'd never handled a machine gun. Hatter had opted for the pistol. He'd stuffed it into the back waistband of his jeans after handing the machine gun over to her. She figured he was a better shot, so he should keep it. The good thing about a machine gun was that aim wasn't so important.

"And two of them are out of commission, but if you have a better idea…" he continued.

"No," she sighed, "but we _do _need to get out of here."

Alice slid off her high heels, slipped the sling of the rifle across her body and picked up Bishop's feet. If she needed to run, she didn't want to worry about breaking an ankle by running on stilettos. She hated to lose them, but she could buy more shoes. Quick enough, they got him stored away in the storage closet, and then returned for Sinatra. He was starting to come to, but a quick right cross from Hatter remedied that.

As they carried Sinatra down the hall, Hatter tried to sort out the best place for him and Alice to hide. He'd prefer to keep the remaining robbers either in his line of sight or in earshot, but he also wanted Alice as far away from them as possible. He knew better than to even attempt to talk her into leaving his side, so if she went, so would he. Better yet, if they could find an exit they could just get the hell out of there. He'd yet to see one that wasn't covered by an armed man. Perhaps he'd been a bit hasty in ending the call with the police, but it had made him angry the patronizing way they'd spoken to them both. Still, they could have given them some sort of direction. What he would give to have Charlie and his talent for finding things there with them.

Sinatra went in the storage room with Bishop, and Hatter was no closer to figuring out how to get them out of there. Alice hadn't volunteered any ideas either; she was as much at a loss as he was. Seemed like he'd be doing things the old fashioned way… winging it.

"Ready?" he asked Alice.

She nodded and fell in beside him, gun held ready. Hatter froze, gripped her arm and pulled her to a stop. Eyes wide, he touched an ear, indicating that he heard something. Alice felt the blood drain from her face; there was nowhere to go. She brought the weapon up to bear just as Hatter pushed her inside the storage closet that they'd stashed the robbers in, followed behind and closed the door. Better to hide than to kill one of them and have the others come running, guns blazing.

Hatter felt Alice's body tremble. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her close, whether it was for his sake or hers he wasn't quite sure. She needed to be free to fight if she had to, so he let the urge go unanswered. They waited, breath held as the footsteps drew nearer. Alice could swear that they could hear her heart pounding as her body sent adrenaline zinging through her veins. Hatter silently shifted next to her, placing his body slightly in front of hers and closer to the doorway as whoever was in the hallway paused right outside the door. After a moment, the footsteps continued past their hiding place and down the hall. Alice exhaled and leaned her forehead against Hatter's shoulder. That had been entirely too close for comfort.

One of the bound and gagged men laid on the floor behind them kicked out suddenly, sending Alice reeling into the door. A small sound of shock escaped her lips before she pressed them together. The man kicked out again then froze as Hatter quickly found his throat despite the darkness, circled it with his right hand and gave a warning squeeze. He pulled the pistol out of his pocket and pressed it to the man's temple, never one for subtlety. Alice closed her eyes and strained to hear, hoping that whoever had been in the hallway had gotten out of hearing distance. Footsteps. _Shit. She didn't want to kill anyone. Maybe it wasn't the robbers at all… maybe it was the police?_

The door opened a crack and Alice fell into the best fighting position she could in the cramped room. At least Hatter was slim. Maybe she could disarm them, and neither she nor Hatter would have to do any killing. The door swung wide, the light blinding her for a moment before she could make out who stood in the doorway. The faint hope that it was the police on the other side died. The robber wearing a Dean Martin mask shoved the barrel of his gun right into Alice's chest, halting her attempt at a disarming blow.

Hatter swung his pistol around to aim at the man at the door and chambered a round, "I'll shoot," he warned.

Dean Martin ignored Hatter in favor of Alice, "Hello heiress. You've been a busy girl… who's your friend?"

Hatter smirked, "Ran into her in the hallway. She said she had a mobile so I let her tag along. She's not worth my life, or yours either, mate. Drop the gun or I'll blow your fucking head off." Hatter stared hard into the man's eyes, nearly invisible behind the mask. He put every bit of conviction he could muster into it; Alice's life depended on it. He hoped she could play this off.

"You said you'd get me out of here," Alice said, her voice wavering, "I trusted you."

She could. Acting or not, the accusation stung. He let it, using the emotion to make the charade more convincing. Yet another trick he owed to the former Queen of Hearts.

"You trusted the wrong guy," Hatter replied, his voice as cold towards her as she'd ever heard it.

Alice winced internally. He'd meant that, although not in reference to himself. She _had _trusted the wrong guy by trusting Jack over him. She guessed that was still a delicate subject for Hatter, although it was long behind them.

"Drop the gun, and ya live," Hatter offered.

Shots from the main hall rung out and Alice took advantage of a moment's distraction. She slid sideways as she delivered a palm strike to the barrel of the gun, then caught Dean Martin in the face with a rear elbow strike. He fell to the floor, Hatter gave him a vicious kick to the head, and he stopped moving.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Hatter said.

"Oh, yeah. Before something _else _happens."

Hatter coughed, then coughed again and passed a hand over his eyes. Alice's throat burned, her vision beginning to blur. Something was wrong with the air. Out. They needed to get out.

"Gas," she gasped.

Hatter grabbed her hand as they took off down the corridor, growing pressure in their lungs closing down any thought processes beyond getting to somewhere they could breathe. They rounded the corner and came face to face with the police, fully outfitted in gas masks and SWAT gear.

The next few hours passed in a haze as they were cleared out of the casino. The reaction from the tear gas wore off fairly quickly once they got into the open air. Once they were able to see and breathe normally again, they were questioned at length individually before they were permitted to rejoin each other. At this point, they were almost able to answer the questions before the police were able to ask them they'd gone through the process so many times in the past. When Alice had asked after the fate of the other hostages, she'd been informed that no more people had died at the hands of the robbers, although one of the robbers had been shot. A good ending as far as she and Hatter were concerned. All they really wanted was to get back to their hotel, so they promised the police they would do whatever they wanted as long as they could just _go_. Eventually they were released with the promise of providing full cooperation.

* * *

><p>"Never leaving this hotel again, love," Hatter said as the inclinator door closed behind them.<p>

"Except to fly home," Alice agreed, "but what's the chance that we would pick _that_ casino and it would get robbed?"

Hatter cocked an eyebrow, "With our luck? We may be cursed. The Hatters' Curse. It's a family thing," he joked.

Alice rolled her eyes, "We are _not _cursed."

Hatter snorted in disbelief, "Are." He glanced at the camera in the inclinator, "Well, at least this place has decent security," he smiled and pulled her into his arms, "and besides, all I really want to do on our honeymoon…" he brushed his lips over hers, "is more of this."

Alice looked into his dark chocolate eyes and smiled back, her breath catching in her throat, "Restaurant on premises."

"Umhmm," he agreed, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

"And the magic show we have tickets for… it's here."

"Yeah," he agreed, his lips twitching in amusement.

"And there is a Jacuzzi tub in the room, and the police said it would be best if we washed as soon as possible."

Hatter bit his bottom lip at the thought, "They did indeed, love. What do ya say we listen to 'em for once? Just for laughs?"

Alice nodded, "Now_ that_ is a well thought out plan."

The remainder of their honeymoon was spent more or less on the Luxor grounds, aside from a couple of visits to the police station. Alice and Hatter delighted in having the other's attention without the restraints of work or school or demands of others, and for one entire day they managed to stay in bed all but an hour. They'd both had enough adventure to last a lifetime, and hoped that this was the last curve that life had to throw at them for a while. They had a long happy lifetime ahead of them, and they'd be happy for it to be a quiet one. Of course, there was the small matter of Hatter being the Guardian, and Alice being the rightful custodian of the Stone of Wonderland, but surely on this side of the glass nothing would come from that.

**END.**

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><p><strong>AN: I sure hope you enjoyed this! Come on, it had to have one last little twist, now didn't it? Please do tell me by way of review if you did enjoy it (or didn't.) Talk about a bad time to be in the middle of a fic! New job and a move across three states and all sorts of other craziness, but I've finished it. I am debating doing a wedding night fic… I've got something special in mind. If you enjoy my Missing Reels (and whilst you wait for me to write the wedding night fic if I end up writing it), I've written one for this fic titled "Bliss" set in chapter 2.**

**Thanks for reading, and your support means the world!  
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